Kingdom Come
by Michiyo Ichimaru
Summary: Black wings beating... Esther and Abel are out to discover what sort of Kingdom awaits them and their friends when the day of Judgement comes. AbelEsther
1. Prologue: Black Wings

**Kingdom Come  
A Trinity Blood FanFic**  
**By Michiyo Ichimaru**

**Disclaimer:** Idon't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note: **This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much.

**Prologue: Black Wings**

_I hear the sad, whispering sound of wings beating… it's not the first time. Actually, I've grown accustomed to hearing this sound. What it is, I'm unsure, but it doesn't scare me. That's what bothers me. Somehow, I am drawn to it. Listening, I feel safe, like being wrapped up in the wings of an angel. But how can I be so sure? Demons have wings too. Nightmares and dreams are so closely intertwined that sometimes I can't tell which one I am having._

Slowly, Esther sat up and put on her slippers. "That same dream again." She shivered involuntarily. "Dear lord… what does it mean?" she asked, looking up at the sky pleadingly and clasping her hands together tightly. Could praying really help, though? Silently, she recalled the images that she had seen last night in her dream. It had been dark and she had been alone at first, walking down the street innocently.

However it was odd when the road appeared and there was no one else there. Usually the streets were crowded with people rushing to and from wherever. Then she heard that sound. It sounded so close, but there was no one there. Doing a full three-hundred-and-sixty degree turn, she still didn't see anyone or anything. Not even a bird in the sky, she noticed, looking up for maybe a pigeon or something like that. But there was nothing there.

Walking a bit faster, she tried to escape the sound, but just then, Esther hit a dark black wall, which was strange enough. Turning back around, the road was gone, and she was walking on thin air. Touching the wall, it felt soft and feathery. Jumping back, she screamed and fell. When she looked up this time, she could see a small crack in the sky and it was just enough to see through a fair amount.

Blinking twice and looking closer, she saw one huge red eye staring down at her. The scariest part though, was that even though she had screamed out in a startled way, she didn't feel afraid, not even now as she looked into the red eye looking straight at her. It was just that… she hadn't expected it. Somehow, she still felt safe, wrapped in these dark wings that very well could have been some demon's wings after all.

Shuddering, Esther pulled her knees up to her chest and sat there huddled on her bed for quite some time. In her head, she just kept going over and over that scene and wondering what it could possibly mean. "Dear lord… what are you trying to tell me? What is it that I am seeing?" then, she frowned. "Could this be the temptation of the devil? No… I will not believe that. If it is, I will not budge. My life belongs to god and all things good and that is my only wish." She said forcefully.

Filled with a new strength, Esther stood up and although it was still unusually early… she decided that she wouldn't be going back to sleep. Going into the shower, she cleansed herself of the dream or the nightmare… whatever it was. In time, Esther knew that she would figure it out. There was some purpose to it and until it was needed, she didn't need to strain herself. When it was important, all things would become clear.

Turning off the water, she dressed herself in a hurry and returned to her bed to plop down on it and record the dream in her book, along with the beginning of her journal entry for the day. Keeping a journal for her was important and a lot of fun. After she finished, she looked at the past entries and smiled, remembering all the wonderful memories that she had already made.

Nightmare forgotten, she hugged the small book to her chest and smiled. "Thank you, heavenly father. I am safe and ever so blessed. All the memories floated through her head. _'I am your friend.' _It was as if she could really hear his voice… So many times she had remembered him saying that. But she also remembered the first time she met Father Nightroad. He had run into her on the street. There had been so many crows…

_Black wings…_

Esther set the book back down on the bed and was about to find something else to do when she heard a soft tap on the door. And then, a louder knock. Quickly, she rushed to see who it was, all thoughts cast aside.

**Ending Notes: **Well, that's it for the prologue. Please review, since this is my first story and all… I hope to update soon.

Michiyo Ichimaru


	2. Chapter One: The Devil's Trill Pt I

**Kingdom Come  
A Trinity Blood FanFic  
By Michiyo Ichimaru**

**Disclaimer:** Idon't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note: **This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much. Eventually my story will pick up with the original plot with a few twists and side-notes, hopefully. Maybe you can tell me what you think after you read what I have so far…

**Chapter One: The Devil's Trill Part I**

A knock on the door completely pushed her thoughts away as she rushed to the door to see who would be coming for her oh so very early in the morning. Pulling back the door revealed no one person. But on the floor before her were a small lidded plate and an even smaller note. Esther blinked curiously at it and smiled. "Breakfast?" she asked herself, picking up the plate and examining the note first.

It said, in small scribbled writing: _Eat up. We have something quite interesting to investigate later._ "It's from Father Nightroad." She exclaimed. "I should have known." Removing the lid, she took a small, cautious bite from the pastry and instantly brightened up. "This is GREAT!" she grinned, taking another bite and carrying it with her, running out of her room and down the hall towards the lobby.

Father Nightroad was standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting patiently. The only sound was that of his fingers tapping against the banister of the stairs. Upon hearing her footsteps as she ran, he smiled and watched her trip and stumble over her own feet as she ran down to greet him. "Good morning!" Abel shouted warmly. "That sure was fast. Were you already up? It's so early… But more importantly, did you enjoy your early-morning treat?" he asked sweetly, looking at the remainder of the fruit-smothered biscuit in her hand.

"Very much, Father! Thank you." Esther said, bowing her head slightly towards him. "Now I'm curious, Father. What is so interesting that Lady Caterina is sending both of us to investigate?" she asked, finishing off the biscuit. Father Nightroad sighed and handed her a copy of the letter that he was given with all the details on it. After wiping her hands clean, she took the single paged letter and read it carefully.

_Last night marked the death of Vienna Van Dier. She died in the city of Albion. However, that's not what is odd about this case. What is odd about this case is the nature of her death. The only thing found in the area was a violin, which she clutched in her hands. If that isn't weird enough, the initials on the violin were not hers. Yet, morning came and when it did, the violin was gone. We think that the violin might have belonged to a vampire in the region. If this is true, we need to find out just what is going on and bring the vampire down in case he becomes a true threat to more people than just one._

_Father Nightroad and Sister Esther, I want you to go to Albion to see the scene of the crime. If anything comes up, I want an immediate report. However, if you are attacked, I want you to attack back. Arrest the vampire and bring him to justice. That is all._ And at the bottom, Lady Caterina signed her name in fancy cursive letters. Folding the letter once more, she handed it back to Abel, who pocketed it for later consultation.

After thinking about it for a while, Esther blinked. "What? A violin…" She suddenly remembered a story that Bishop Laura had told her when she was little. "It's kind of like the story of the Devil's Trill sonata." She said, looking at Father Nightroad. When he only blinked at her, she knew he hadn't heard of it. "Bishop Laura told me this story when I first decided to become a nun at the church. Let me see if I can remember how it went…" she said, scratching her head. "Oh yeah! I remember now!"

"So it was said that the devil wrote this violin solo piece that was so difficult that no human could actually play it. No matter how much a person practiced and worked at it, the song was just impossible. When played, the song always sounded bitter and ugly. It was said that then, a violinist stepped forward, determined to play the Devil's Trill and made a deal with the devil who wrote it. The devil took his soul, and in return, gave him his violin. With this violin, the boy could play the Devil's Trill. And they say it was the most beautiful song ever heard."

Esther frowned. "However, with every performance he ever did of the song, something terrible would happen…"

Abel frowned. "Something terrible? And it was linked with the Devil's Trill… it sounds like a crazy superstition born from the name." he said. "But it seems way too strange to be ruled out as a complete coincidence." Watching her closely, he leaned in and inquired, "Is that the end?" Father Nightroad was drawn in by the fearful and intriguing story.

She shook her head. "No… He tried to give the violin away after the strange death of his mother while he was practicing. Doctors said that she had a heart attack; however, when they looked closer, it looked like her heart had exploded from the inside."

"Torn and frightened, he gave it to a friend of his who was also a great violinist. But the next day, the girl was found dead. Upon taking the violin back so he wouldn't be suspected in the murder, the boy was now truly scared. Next he tried to give it back to the devil, which refused his offer and told him that once played the whole way through it was bound to him forever. No matter what he tried, the violin kept coming back to him. They say he finally snapped and killed himself."

There was a great silence. Laughing nervously, Abel tried to shake the terrible feeling it gave him. "How frightening." He said, shivering. "It looks like we'll have to go to Albion and set things straight now, won't we?" He said, giving her a small pouch, frowning. Before she could ask, he explained, "Whenever I go on a mission with someone, Caterina tells me I must give them the money." He pouted quite cutely as Esther took the money and laughed. It was no wonder. She was sure that he was very capable of killing even a small amount of money… especially with that unhealthy tea habit of his…

Once outside, it was beautiful and calm but not quite quiet. There were birds chirping in the sky and children laughing and playing in the fields. People chatted happily to each other and greeted Abel and Esther excitedly as they passed. "Everything looks so wonderful here. If you wrapped yourself up in this world, it would be hard to realize that there could be such a place as Albion where death is in the midst all the time." Esther said sadly, smelling one of the flower bouquets for sale as they passed it and smiling again said, "I love it here."

"Yes… Albion is like that much too often. Smack between the Empire and the Vatican makes it an obvious war-ground for hatred and death. It's no good. If only the two could find peace… the Terrans and the Methuselah, that is." Father Nightroad sighed heavily. Esther was listening aptly, shocked by his sudden serious face. "What?!" he cried, noticing her stare. "I'm not silly ALL the..." His words might have made a better impact, had he not fallen on his face, tripping over a kid's scooter in mid-sentence. Esther quickly bent down to see if he was okay.

Abel was back up in seconds, laughing it off as if it was nothing. "I swore I heard your bones crack." Esther said, shocked, but thoroughly relieved for his sake. He looked just fine, walking down the street, laughing. Then he stopped and began to cry in exasperation, flailing his arms all over. Shocked, Ester watched as he came running back. With big eyes wide with tears Abel showed Esther his glasses like a little kid who just broke his favorite toy. "Oh! That's what it was." Esther said, smiling. One of the lenses had popped out, and one of the sides had become bent.

Teary-eyed, Abel sniffled. "Can you fix them?" How could Esther refuse such a cute face and innocent request? Carefully, she bent the side back into a position that was equal to the other side and eased the lens back into the right eye. With a triumphant smile on her face, Esther handed him the glasses and stood up to brush off any excess dirt. She should have had enough time to get up before he did, what with him examining his glasses, but he shot up and started running and skipping joyfully towards Albion.

Startled, Esther had to run as fast as she could to catch up to someone with legs as long as his. Esther was only lucky that he was half skipping and not running at full speed. Then Esther realized that he had stopped in mid-skip. "Is something…" but there was someone standing in their way. "A vampire." She whimpered fearfully. Abel raised his arm in front of her in a protective motion and made her take a few steps back by drawing his arm against her.

"Please… let me handle this." He said, all seriousness returned to his face. Unable to find her voice, she just nodded and placed a comforting hand on his lower arm before he took off, rushing the vampire. She was almost the same height as Esther, but a bit taller with long black hair that was pulled into two long braids that went all the way down to her lower back. Her only weapons were her claws. Yet, that was enough for a vampire with speed like she had.

A long battle ensued, and for a long time, no one got any closer to winning. Both fighters were very good and no one was getting anywhere fast. Then Father Nightroad jumped back and frowned. "You're a distraction, no?"

The Methuselah laughed viciously. "You're real good, mister." She said. "I am Mistral… and my brother is… my brother is the killer, but I won't let you get to him. What do you know about our troubles anyway? You just care to destroy us all. Well, I won't let you hurt anyone else! It's the violin's fault, not my brother's!" Just now Mistral was drawing out her claws and Esther realized that they had just been fighting using hand-to-hand combat earlier. If they were even then, well, how would Father Nightroad fare now?

"Father, please! Don't do it! Don't get yourself killed!" she wept for him. 'If I want to win, I know I'll have to transform.' He thought to himself. 'But…' Father Nightroad just barely avoided one intimate collision with Mistral's deadly claws. 'But if I were to transform… what would she think of me? Why do I care so much about THAT when my life is on the line?! Well that's because… I need her friendship. If I lost her friendship… then…' "FATHER!" Esther shouted.

Hearing her scream, Abel was able to move just enough so that he wouldn't be too severely hurt. But it had been so close… Abel pulled out his gun, although he wasn't sure how much good that would do him. Mistral grinned. "Maybe I need to quiet your little parakeet before I go after you?" she laughed viciously, looking over at Esther, who grew suddenly quiet and pale. Abel stepped in between Esther and Mistral's wicked glares. "No? Alright, then. Let's finish this!"

One fluid motion and Father Nightroad was thrown to the ground, bloody. He thought about getting back up, but then he heard Esther's footsteps. Esther forgot all about her orders and ran to his side. Practically throwing herself on top of him, she sobbed. "Father, no! No more please. Don't leave me! I'll never forgive you if you do!" she shouted, tears falling onto his coat. Their eyes met for an instant and then he was looking over her shoulder at the vampire.

Mistral had a very happy look on her face as she raised her claws again. "How sweet. Now you can die together knowing that you will go to HELL TOGETHER!" she shouted angrily. Esther's eyes widened and her mind screamed at her, telling her she had to do something to save both of them. But she couldn't, and she knew that they very well might die. The only thing she could do was to wrap her arms around Abel and pray.

And then… everything went black.

What a place to end a chapter, eh? Especially the FIRST chapter! However, the next chapter is going to be fun. Please review, and be sure to check in for the next chapter coming soon!

Michiyo Ichimaru


	3. Chapter Two: The Black Angel

**Kingdom Come  
A Trinity Blood FanFic  
By Michiyo Ichimaru**

**Disclaimer:** Idon't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note: **This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much. Eventually my story will pick up with the original plot with a few twists and side-notes, hopefully. After reading chapter fifteen and sixteen, this chapter came out, knowing that I couldn't handle writing it the way that it was in the manga… those chapters made me cry…

**Chapter Two: The Black Angel**

Complete darkness fell over Esther like an eclipse of the sun. Everything was silent for a second or maybe even less. Except, she could hear her own harsh and frightened breathing and it felt like it could have been an eternity between that breath she took and her next. This could be death, but she was sure that she was alive. It was a warm and safe feeling, and yet… this wasn't a dream... But it was just like THAT dream. 'This is for real…' she realized, looking up. Esther could not see the eye.

No… she could see the face. And it was real and it was horrid. Trembling, she closed her eyes as tightly as she could, refusing to look up anymore. If she closed her eyes and looked at the darkness there, just behind her eyelids, she did not have to see that face anymore... She could feel her chest pounding and her hands were clutched together so tightly around that body, that she could feel them slipping from the sweat between them.

There was an instant of panic and fear so intense that she was blinded by it and saw nothing else but her one-sided, fear-induced view of what she believed was the truth. _'A… monster?' _She thought at first, but never out loud. And she quickly disregarded these thoughts, disgusted with herself. '_No… not a monster…_ Scary on the outside… but not a monster. What does appearance matter anyway? It is the soul that counts…' she reminded herself.

Finally she could focus on what really counted. 'This is… this is Father Abel Nightroad. This is the man who saved me. He is my friend…' And she let out the breath that she had been holding unconsciously. Slowly, Esther drifted back into the real world. Opening her eyes was so difficult after squeezing them shut so tightly for so long. She had to blink a few times before she could adjust. But when she did, she immediately looked up once more, at the face above her. Even in the darkness, she could see it well.

Looking at that face was no longer frightful, though. Protected by the wings of her black angel, she reached up and gently touched his face. Startled, Abel, in his Krusnik form, looked down on her slowly with his red eyes. In those blood-red pools shone fear. He was afraid of her… of her reaction. With slow movements, his other hand that was not wrapped around her waist protectively, came up and lightly covered hers. Esther could feel the hard skin and long nails regardless of how cautious he was. She already felt that from the other hand that clutched her to him.

_This… is Krusnik… This is what I am and this is what you asked me to explain to you. I could not tell you, but I could not protect you from seeing the truth, either. Do you… hate this? Do you… hate… me?_ The voice was different… slightly lower and more throaty, but she could still recognize his voice behind all the transformations.

Esther smiled. "Do you even have to ask?" _I hear the sad whispering sounds of wings beating. _"I am your friend." She said softly, holding the hand that had pulled her close to protect her from the attack with her other free hand. Wide-eyed first, and then relieved, Abel processed these words thoroughly and felt like a huge weight that he had been carrying for a long time was his to remove and throw to the wind.

He leaned in close and she felt her heart rate increase until it was going double-time. '_Is he going to… kiss me?'_ Esther blushed but didn't back away at all. But he moved his lips to her ear instead, still dangerously close. His breath tickled her ear, and she fought hard not to giggle. "You should leave… get out of here and find someplace safe until this is over. I can handle this. I promise I will come for you when the fight is over. Then we can arrest this guy together." He said his voice barely even a whisper.

"Will you be safe, my black angel?" she asked, rather liking the sound of her new little pet name for him. Apparently he did too, for he chuckled lightly and nodded, nuzzling his head against her neck. Removing his arms from around her, the black wings unfolded quickly, in such a grandeur way. Pushing her behind him, he blocked her, giving her time to run. But she found she'd also need some time to readjust to the light. Stumbling for a bit, she kept pushing forward.

Once she felt she had gone a ways, she looked back and smiled. From there, she could see the battle easily. 'A monster…? Standing there with his wings poised high above his head and his hair floating gracefully over his head, he looks more like one of those heroes you hear about in fantasies and fairy tales…' Esther thought to herself, nodding in satisfaction as she crouched in a nearby bush and waited for him to come get her once the battle was over. She must have been tired, because some time in between settling in the bush and the time the battle was over, Esther dozed off…

That was almost like a filler chapter, but not really! The conclusion to the Devil's Trill coming up next! I hope you liked this chapter enough to leave me a review! Thanks for reading and I hope you'll join me again next time when I finish their first mission together! Now I'll stop rambling, because you need enough time to review!

Michiyo Ichimaru


	4. Chapter Three: The Devil's Trill Pt II

**Kingdom Come  
A Trinity Blood FanFic  
By Michiyo Ichimaru**

**Disclaimer:** Idon't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note: **This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much. Eventually my story will pick up with the original plot with a few twists and side-notes, hopefully. After reading chapter fifteen and sixteen, this chapter came out, knowing that I couldn't handle writing it the way that it was in the manga… those chapters made me cry…

**Chapter Three: The Devil's Trill Part II**

When Esther came to, it was dark and it was because she heard someone shouting. 'Is someone shouting my name?' she thought to herself groggily, propping herself up on her elbows. She was so out of it that she completely forgot where she was when she heard more screaming. 'Father Nightroad!' Panicked was an understatement. Jumping up, Esther tried to get his attention. However, still drowsy, she accidentally tripped over the folds of cloth as she stood up.

At least he caught her before her face fell in the mud. "Esther!" Abel shouted, throwing his arms around her forcefully. "I thought you were kidnapped or something when you didn't answer! Don't scare me like that again." It was perfectly emphasized by his serious face. Nodding, Esther agreed. She felt pretty bad for falling asleep in the first place. Before then, she hadn't felt tired at all until she hid behind the bush. It was a feeling much like déjà vu, but more sinister.

"Do you think he has more friends?" Esther asked, thinking that perhaps one of them had put her to sleep in hopes of trying to kidnap her when night fell. Father Nightroad finally let go of her and nodded.

"Yes, and I ran into a good number of them! That was why I was so worried!" he said, frowning. "However, I got some more information and now we should go pay Vincent Oren a little visit. He'll want to know what happened to his sister I'm sure." Together the two of them traveled up the hill. Oren's tiny mansion could be seen in the distance, looking rather frightening even in it's small stature and clean nature which made it different from most vampire hideouts. Along the way, Abel explained what he had learned.

_A trill… two notes, back and forth like a wave in a storm._ "It's not a trill per say, but when you pick certain notes out and look at their timing, there is a trill going on. But because it's in different parts, you wouldn't notice it. Vincent believes that is the nature of the deaths. The devil has created a very dangerous song indeed." Esther cringed at the thought of a certain musical trill that could kill. 'But why is he using it to kill people? And how is this related to the story I learned as a child… it seems like it almost is…' 

Stopping at the bottom of the hill, Abel sighed. "It's the same boy as in your story. Except… he's being tortured by the violin even now, as a vampire. One of the groups of vampires actually believes that it was the thing that turned him into a vampire. Or perhaps he thought he could escape by becoming one. Regardless, it's still VERY attached to him, and I think it's time we put him out of his misery and destroy the violin." Abel said, saving small glances for Esther. "What do you think?"

"I think… he has suffered enough." She smiled sadly, clasping her hands together in prayer. "If that's what it takes, then I agree." She said, nodding for emphasis. There was a bit of silence that followed and then Father Nightroad smiled contently and simply waited, as their trek to the mansion was almost over. "It's so gloomy…" Esther said, though her voice was barely above a whisper. Abel almost missed it, but his keen sense when it came to anything remotely related to Esther helped him catch it. Nodding, Abel realized that he couldn't put it any better herself.

Vincent Oren watched them from the top window, face streaming with tears as he held the violin in his hand. No matter how hard he clutched it, the thing wouldn't break. He knew that… for he had tried various methods. All the while, he watched this tormented item kill everyone and everything he loved. And it was supposed to be a GIFT. Well, never accept gifts from the devil. Curse is the more appropriate label for said talent. With a fluid motion, he moved to the front gate. First he would put up a good fight for Mistral… for what they did to her…

Then he would let them kill him. He would die for all his crimes, and he didn't mind. It would be less painful that way… for him, and the last remaining person he loved… his beloved Karrin.

Abel knew the guy was crazy, but looking at him was completely different. Vincent was tall and thin like most vampires, but for one… Abel had never seen a vampire cry. Not like this… There was something perturbing about the whole picture. Esther must have noticed this as well, for she had begun to pray, with tears in her own eyes. Really, she was like an angel of mercy and kindness, because he had never seen her show anything but. Taking a few steps forward, Abel introduced himself, and Oren smiled sadly.

"I know you killed Mistral. It's despicable. If it's not because of me, it's for me… Everyone I love dies. Actually, you look like an angel to me, right now. I am tired, Father. Right now, I just want to cease to exist. Can you do that? Can you end my suffering?" Without waiting for an answer, the crazed Vincent lashed forward and caught Father Nightroad off guard, tossing him to the ground with three scratches from his long, sharp claws. "You can… can't you? THAN DO IT!" he shouted, collapsing to his knees and throwing the violin to the sky.

In fear, Abel transformed, fear not only for his own life, but Esther's. This vampire was crazy. He needed to end this fast, before it got out of his own control. "Krusnik 02 40. Approved." His appearance changed once more into that of the creature with black wings and fangs… the Krusnik. Esther watched in awe of his deadly beauty. _Truly an angel of death… or perhaps a shinigami… death god. _That's what it seemed to be. Not hidden this time, she could see it for what it was, in its full glory. _Amazing…_

Just when she thought it was over, a battle had just begun. "But first… for my sister…" he whispered, throwing himself to the wind and avoiding Abel's well timed attack with ease. Esther gasped. _He did not plan on going peacefully!_ "Though I am a sinner, she did nothing. Just being my sister was torture enough. And then you…" he growled ferociously, attacking Abel again, almost catching his chest again, but doing nothing more than barely grazing the skin.

"Get back, Esther!" he shouted, raising the grand red slayer. Frozen to the spot, she could not force herself up onto her feet and Vincent came fast.

"In return, I will show you a taste of what I felt – to have someone, if not many, die for you… BECAUSE OF YOU!" Oren shouted, pushing Abel in the opposite direction and using the push to vault in Esther's direction with his claws bared. Abel wanted to do something… to move faster, but…

She didn't even have enough time to pray before she felt the contact.

So sorry that took so long. I wrote the fight scene, but then I changed it again to affect the next chapter in a different way. Hope it's not too cliffhanger-y. Please review, and I will have the next chapter up soon!

Michiyo Ichimaru


	5. Chapter Four: The Angel of Mercy

**Kingdom Come  
A Trinity Blood FanFic  
By Michiyo Ichimaru**

**Disclaimer:** Idon't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note: **This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much. Eventually my story will pick up with the original plot with a few twists and side-notes, hopefully. After reading chapter fifteen and sixteen, this chapter came out, knowing that I couldn't handle writing it the way that it was in the manga… those chapters made me cry…

**Chapter Four: The Angel of Mercy**

There was an awful lot of blood. She refused to move. Wrapping her arms around him, she clasped her hands together behind him, head bowed against his forehead. "God… grant this soul into your care." His eyes widened in shock, and he slowly removed his claws from her skin. For a minute, she began coughing violently. But she continued praying. "Give him the rest he so violently seeks. So long he has been tormented. Let him go at last… free him from the devil and show him your power, stronger than that of any devil. A strong, but good power that can save… him…" she began coughing again, stronger this time.

Abel pulled Esther away and into his arms. "Don't you dare!" he shouted, tears ghosting over his eyes. Vincent Oren stared at his hands in awe, as if he could not comprehend what had just happened. _I have been shunned so long for hurting those who loved me. But she hated what I was… and she still welcomed my claws and PRAYED for me. What is she?_ Standing shakily, he looked over at her face. Esther was deathly pale, but her chest was rising and falling steadily like it should have. _She is still alive…_ He was relieved.

"You." Abel growled. "It is time for your judgment. Your time has come. Her prayers… no matter how beautiful… can no longer help you." Changing back into the Krusnik, it was Oren, this time, who embraced the oncoming slaughter, as he felt Father Nightroad's fangs sink in. But even as he began to fade away into death… he watched Esther's face._ God has blessed this world with a true angel. She is merciful and sweet, and it's people like her that may just save this world… for humans and vampires alike._

The last of his will to live gone, Oren sunk to his knees, and faded out of existence, with a faint smile on his face. _Thank you, Sister Esther. I will remember your name. I will tell everyone of the angel that has touched my heart and soul before death. They will know… I will tell them._ Abel changed back quickly, fearful for Esther. In one fluid motion, he picked her up into his arms, and proceeded to carry her. She whimpered out a few things, but then, found her voice and smiled.

"The violin… is gone…" she whispered in a soft voice. "Thank you, Father. He will be happy now, I just know it." She rested her head against his chest, and smiled even wider. "And… someday… so will you." Abel's eyes widened, similar to the way Vincent Oren's had. _All my life I have been fighting for the future that I want, but after hearing you say it… I can believe in it. Maybe one day I will find it. I only hope that you will be there to see it and enjoy it with me._ He thought to himself, speeding up his pace, and taking her to the nearest medical center in Albion.

When she woke up, it was white sheets and white walls, and Esther knew that she was in some excuse for a medical facility. "F-father?" she said aloud, searching around for his presence. The silver haired priest was curled up in the corner without a chair. Esther thought about waking him, but he looked so peaceful. Her wounds were wrapped well, and she felt much better, but…

She stood up with her blanket in tow and wrapped Father Nightroad in it. "You're shivering…" she whispered. Going down the hall, she met the receptionist and gave her the information that would allow her to contact Caterina so she could handle the fee. "I will go get Father Nightroad and we shall leave." Esther said kindly to the nice lady and started back down the hallway towards the same room she came out of… after picking the wrong one the first time and getting yelled at by a half-dressed burn victim. "I'm SOOOO sorry!" she squealed, running out of the room with her eyes shut tight and running into the wall on the other side of the hall.

The receptionist laughed softly. "She's a good person." She said, before returning to her paperwork.

Esther got back to her room without further incident and sighed in relief. "Father, we…" She wasn't really shocked, but he was still sleeping. "You really DO have to get up." She said, shaking him softly. Abel opened up one eye warily, scaring Esther, who was unprepared for such a quick response. "Don't scare me like THAT!" Esther shouted, backing up slowly. Abel laughed, but then he noticed the sheets carefully placed around him.

"How sweet…" he smiled softly, removing the blankets and returning them to the bed. "My sweet Angel of Mercy…" Abel laughed. Esther blushed and shook her head in denial. But he stopped that quickly. "No… we can't have that now." He said, leaning in close. She could almost feel his breath on her face, that's how close he was. "Don't deny it… you're too nice." He said, smiling sweetly and honestly, if not a bit TOO innocently. But she couldn't comprehend those things at the moment.

She wasn't able to until after he pulled away and told her to come with him. _We're leaving…_ She thought, sadly. Inside, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. 'NO!' she told herself. 'That's just… silly…' she blushed. 'Angel of Mercy… who ever heard of such a silly… thing…' but she still followed him, and would follow him, wherever he went.

They would return to the Vatican…

_Although, it didn't seem like anything had changed, it had. She now knew what she had been longing to know. Esther knew what Krusnik was, and now he wouldn't be afraid to show it to her. There was no longer the distance between them. Now he didn't need to hide anything from her. He knew that she accepted him. To him… she really was his Angel of Mercy…_

A conclusion and a bit of fluff for all you readers who have stuck with me so far. I'd like to give BloodHeron and Koori Youkai Hime a little shout-out, for reviewing almost EVERY chapter. There are a lot of awesome reviewers I'd also like to thank for all their kind words: Anri and Fergnerd, thanks for reviewing more than once! You guys make me feel so special that I just have to thank you. And thanks to everyone else who reviewed! For short… thanks everyone. It's thanks to you that I've been updating as much as I have been. I'll try to keep it up. Next chapter shouldn't take too long. Until then, please review some more… cause I love it.

Michiyo Ichimaru


	6. Chapter Five: Rising Sun Pt I

**Kingdom Come  
A Trinity Blood FanFic  
By Michiyo Ichimaru**

**Disclaimer:** Idon't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note: **This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much. Eventually my story will pick up with the original plot with a few twists and side-notes, hopefully. After reading chapter fifteen and sixteen, this chapter came out, knowing that I couldn't handle writing it the way that it was in the manga… those chapters made me cry…

**Chapter Five: Rising Sun Part I**

Spring really was a beautiful time of year. Esther didn't mind getting up on those days. All she had to do was look outside and she could see hope and promise. Practically throwing herself out of bed, she got ready for another day. Esther didn't really like routines, but this was one thing she could handle doing every day. Since their return from Oren's mansion, she had met with Father Nightroad downstairs everyday and talked with him until noon. There was a lot for her to learn, but she did learn something each and every day.

Like how he put thirteen lumps of sugar in each cup of tea, his hatred for the unlucky number four, why he couldn't stand being abandoned (especially at train stations), the fear he had for losing his glasses, how he felt about a lot of the people he worked with (although whenever she asked what he thought of her, he always found a way to avoid it), and she also learned a lot about his past.

It was difficult to remember all of it, but she managed. Actually, she found it very refreshing. Father Nightroad was a very real person. The more she learned, the more she admired him, really. Today, she was very excited for their ritual walk, however, it was not Father Nightroad who was waiting for her downstairs when she got to it. Sister Kate was patiently standing there, with a grim look on her face. Numerous papers were shuffled before she found the one she wanted to give Esther.

How could she smile at all? There was a thick cloud of disaster in the morning air. It was clear, and the sun was shining, but a sinister feeling lingered with every breath. Taking the note, Esther, skimmed it quickly. But she didn't finish it before she had already looked up to Sister Kate for answers. Sister Kate just smiled a small comforting grin. "Don't worry…"

"They'll find him."

_Lost. _Esther tried to take the final steps so she would clear the staircase and stand on the ground level. Yet her vision swayed with tears and she fell to the ground, her arms wrapping tightly about herself in a protective, yet frightened way. _Sister Kate… you don't understand. How could you possibly understand? Without him… I am lost. There is nothing I wouldn't give… I can't move. I can hardly breathe. When did I start caring this much? Look how much I've changed. Now I just feel lousy…_

_Forget about him…_

The way we looked at each other after we fell over each other… that was the first time we met. He looked so cute when he lost his glasses…

_Forget…_

He saved me so many times. Each time, he made sure I wouldn't see… He looked so torn up inside. And when I did see… he looked so scared that I would run away… that I might reject him.

_Him…_

Those eyes… his gorgeous hair… what a beautiful smile. Yesterday he came so close to me… I thought my heart had stopped, and… I can't! I just can't. Father Nightroad is precious to me, somehow. No matter what, I will still feel the pains… I will still be lost until he comes home again safely. He will come home safely… right? I'm scared.

When she woke up again, she wasn't on the floor. But she wasn't in the infirmary… or her room, either. "This place is…" Everything was dark and empty, like a void. "Hello!? Is anybody there?!" Turning to and fro, she became frightened. _No… he's not here to protect me. That's why I feel so frightened. I know that he's not here…_

So… she wondered what Father Nightroad would do, and chuckled softly… and she began singing to herself as cheerfully as she could manage in these circumstances.

_I closed my eyes and I could smile_

_Feeling the chains lifting from my heart_

_The snow will always melt in spring_

_My heart is a feeble thing,_

_And you are the only thing I can depend on_

_In these trying times_

_I turn to you._

It was just a bad nightmare, and when she woke up in the morning, she didn't remember any of it, except she felt a little better. Slipping out of bed, she knew what she had to do. "No one else will, so I have to go find Father Nightroad. That is what I want to do. It's what I need to do." It was difficult sneaking out with so many other people around. And with no money, she wasn't sure what she would do from this point on. But standing outside on the front steps, with the wind blowing in her face, she felt free.

_Warm, dark black wings surround me… even if he's not here with me…_

_I can hear the faint whispering sounds of wings beating, and I know he is here._

She took off into the night with a sense of purpose. _The sun is rising, somewhere in the world… and there is light. I will find it when I find him. Maybe then I will understand and… be able to tell him… whatever it is that I know I need to tell him. Or something like that. _She blushed.

In the distance, a small young girl vampire snickered and ducked out of sight. "She's coming. I have to warn my master before she comes too close. He'll want to give her a warm welcoming." She giggled innocently with a malicious glint in her eye as she hummed a happy tune… "There is a road and a dark path waiting for me…" she sang merrily, as she ran to inform her father: Ferror, of Esther's departure.

The castle was dark, like many were, but this one didn't stand out in any particular way. The count watched the world below from the highest window and smiled. "Abel… your love, she is a brave one. We welcome her at dawn!" he said, sweeping past Abel, who was chained to the wall and dripping with blood on his way out the door towards his bed chambers.

Abel frowned and tried to think of some way to stop her… some sort of sign… but he was too weak, and he really wanted to see her again. _Will you be the one to save me? Not just from him… but… from myself and my own guilt? Could you? Will you?_ Slumping back against the wall, he gave in to the dark tormented sleep that he was allowed, until the sun would rise again, and dawn came…

Ta da! Another chapter. Hope you enjoyed it and will review some more… NOW OVER 20 REVIEWS! You guys totally rock. I have gotten so many sweet reviews, and not a single flame, which is amazing for my first story. Thank you so very much. I will try to have the next chapter up soon for you. Should be an exciting experience.

Michiyo Ichimaru


	7. Chapter Six: Rising Sun Pt II

**Kingdom Come  
A Trinity Blood FanFic  
By Michiyo Ichimaru**

**Disclaimer:** Idon't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note: **This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much. Eventually my story will pick up with the original plot with a few twists and side-notes, hopefully. After reading chapter fifteen and sixteen, this chapter came out, knowing that I couldn't handle writing it the way that it was in the manga… those chapters made me cry…

**Chapter Six: Rising Sun Part II**

Esther didn't believe her eyes. As she got closer to the castle, it was as if she was stepping into an illusion. The sky slowly changed from a baby blue to a dark crimson hue, and vaguely she wondered if this was the apocalypse. But she knew she was fooling herself. It looked like just a regular castle… but is any castle really ordinary? Once more, Esther questioned herself. "This is so foolish… what am I going to do? Knocking on the door of every castle with a vampire present is both very unlikely and dangerous." Pursing her lips, she wondered what she would say.

_I've lost my priest… have you seen him?_ It all just sounded very ridiculous. Yet she knew that she was thinking things like this to keep her mind away from the darker thoughts that were scaring her deep in the back of her mind. It was a nice reprieve if she could make it into a joke somewhere along the line and laugh. But then she noticed that she was at the door. That… and she wasn't alone anymore. Sitting on the front steps, a little girl kicked her legs playfully and sang a sweet melody… then Esther heard the words…

_I'm going to take over the world_

_And win your heart_

_Lalalalalalala_

_I'm going to take over the world_

_And paint it with blood,_

_In your name._

_Lalalala…_

Seeing Esther shaking out of the corner of her crimson eyes, she giggled and jumped to her feet. "Took ya long enough! We've been waiting, you know!" she said playfully. The girl sounded so very childish, but Esther wasn't fooled. There was something very wrong about this girl. "My master's the one who will be greeting you. I'm just here to open the door for you, ya know!" she said, pulling the huge wooden doors open. It wasn't until after Esther passed the girl and the door that she realized that there weren't any handles on the door. Hearing the door slam behind her she jumped slightly and waited to hear from the girl again.

But she was nowhere to be found. Instead, a deep baritone voice sounded from up the staircase. "Welcome! I am Ferror, the master of this house. You have already met my daughter. She is Fantine. But, as nice as formalities are, I know why you are here and won't delay you for long. It's imperative that you hurry, actually. Still, I'm not mean enough to make you fight. You are in the Castle of Broken Illusions. If you want your dear Father back, it's just a matter of finding him. Fantine is around here somewhere… I won't get in your way, but… she might."

His laugh made her spine tingle. In the instant she shuddered and looked away, Ferror disappeared. In a few seconds, the door also moved to open, and Esther ran to take it. _It's imperative that you hurry, actually. _The thought of what trouble Abel could be in made her tremble. She HAD to hurry. Moving forward… she continually ran straight forward. All around her there were hundreds of paths. But she didn't take any of them. Esther continued on a straight path, hoping that it was right. At first, she thought it was too simple, however, it paid off.

She saw a pair of stairs finally, and she knew she had to go up. But at the top of the stairs, Fantine was sitting, kicking and singing again. Smiling, the girl stood up. "People say that 'It's always sunny somewhere in the world' when they're feeling down. But here, the sun is always shining. It's part of the illusion. This IS the Castle of Broken Illusions, after all. My father named it himself, knowing that that's exactly what it is."

Esther looked out the window and gasped. From here, the sky was dark red and there were two round masses. The red one must have been the sun, but there was a black and blue one too. Not bothering to look, Fantine explained. "Ever hear of the dark side of the moon. It's the second part of the illusion. In the darkness… you never know what's going on around you. You have to base everything on instinct." But the girl was gone before Esther could say any more. Yet, in a way, it seemed as though the girl was trying to help her.

_Instinct… Alright! I can do that._

Running up the stairs, Esther closed her eyes and continued to run. It was like one of her terrible dreams, but she didn't run in to anything. And with her eyes closed, her hearing was heightened. _Is that… really… the sound of… wings?_ Excited, she ran even faster. In the darkness of her closed eyes, there was a light, and a staircase. Taking it up and up, she came to a door.

Unable to push it open, and without a handle, she didn't know what to do. _Is this really… just a dead-end? No! I know he's there. I just know it, but… I can't open it. What can I do?!_ Behind her, she heard young and lively footsteps. _Fantine? The girl! She can open the door! _Fantine smiled. "I'll open it. But first… there are two-hundred seventy six doors here. Are you certain that this is the one that you want me to open? You can only pick one." She giggled, practically skipping up the stairs.

_It's imperative that you hurry, actually. _"Yes." Esther said softly. _I have to believe… I need to trust my instincts._ Fantine stepped forward and placed both hands on the door. Pulling her hands back towards her, the door opened and Esther tentatively stepped closer. "A strong heart is the best illusion… AND the key to breaking all illusions." Fantine laughed. "The illusion is broken. Go to him…" she said running back down the stairs. Esther wanted to thank her, but she was already gone. "You have a strong heart." She said, knowing that the girl would hear… somehow.

Pushing the doors open the rest of the way, she found herself in the heart of the master's quarters. There was a bedroom… a bathroom… a balcony… a bloody mass on the wall… wait…

Esther ran to Abel's side and pushed his hair out of his face. Opening his eyes to see the source of the touches, he expected the little girl again. But instead, he saw a very worried Esther. "Oh, Father Nightroad…" she sobbed. "Are you alright?" Laughing, Abel grinned and nodded. Standing up and letting the chains break almost effortlessly, he pulled her close, into a huge hug. The blood was gone… She looked at him in wonder, and awe.

"Castle of Broken Illusions… remember?" He laughed, noticing the adorable lost look on her face. Esther smiled and nodded, feeling relieved. Why was it that whenever he was involved, she couldn't even think of the simplest things… especially the ones that were common sense? "I'm really hungry… and tired. Can we go home now?" he asked, yawning. Esther smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. Let's go home, Father Nightroad. I'll cook you something."

Abel frowned. "Why would you have to do that? The Vatican has lots of cooks. Besides… you look just as bad as I do." He said softly, fixing a piece of hair that was out of place.

Esther sighed. "Don't you see? It's night time. They're probably asleep by now." Abel laughed and nodded. "You're welcome." She said, not even waiting for him to say thanks, because she just knew it was coming.

_The illusion is broken… 'Now I can see this place for what it really is… That's why it's not called the Castle of Illusions…' _Esther didn't know when she first realized it, but as they left, she didn't see the red sky anymore, or the two masses. It was a midnight sky with a dim moon and dark clouds and shadows. _'For those who live in a constant illusion… a constant fantasy… it will always be dark out._ But Fantine was there, sitting on the steps as they left.

"I am happy for you." She said softly. "If you never get wrapped up in the illusion… you will never be bound by the power it holds over you. That way, you will never lose to something that never really was." She said mysteriously and then went back to singing merrily.

_She is right…_

"Let's go home, Sister Esther. It is getting cold." Abel said, noticing her shiver, and giving her his coat.

The walk home didn't seem so long, as Abel and Esther made up for lost time, making up for their missed mid-afternoon talks. And this time… when she asked him what he thought of her… he just laughed.

"Amazing!" He said. "The real world isn't perfect, but it's better than the dreams that I have." He was still avoiding the question, but somehow, it didn't bother Esther so much this time. She felt like there was a piece of the answer in what he said… somewhere. And there was always tomorrow.

Another ending and more progress! Yay! Thanks for all the reviews and please keep sending them! I will be updating again soon. Hopefully faster this time. So, I hope you enjoyed it and will join me next time for the next exciting chapter!

Michiyo Ichimaru


	8. Chapter Seven: Black White Nothing

**Kingdom Come  
A Trinity Blood FanFic  
By Michiyo Ichimaru**

**Disclaimer:** Idon't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note: **This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much. Eventually my story will pick up with the original plot with a few twists and side-notes, hopefully. After reading chapter fifteen and sixteen, this chapter came out, knowing that I couldn't handle writing it the way that it was in the manga… those chapters made me cry…

**Chapter Seven: Black + White Nothing**

Racing downstairs, Esther was relieved to see Father Nightroad waiting for her, with half of his breakfast stuffed in his mouth. "Gwood mowning Esthwer." Abel grinned, talking with his mouth obviously stuffed full of food. But it was a good sign, and she smiled even though she was rolling her eyes at him. Swallowing the last of the food in his mouth, he offered the other half of the bagel to her once she made it down the last steps. Taking it, she looked at it cautiously, half expecting it to be made out of sugar.

"Thank you. And good morning." She said, returning the greeting and eating the food. Abel just started walking, because he knew she would follow. He knew he didn't have to ask anymore, although he often did, in case Esther had other plans. Yet she never did. The time she spent talking with him was very important to her, and she avoided missing any of that time as much as humanly possible. Exiting out into the cool crisp air, the first gust hit her as a bit chilly. But Father Nightroad remedied that with his coat and a smile.

It wasn't awkward at all, and it didn't take them long to fall into a comfortable conversation. This time, it happened to be his favorite color which she inquired about, simply out of curiosity. And it seemed that even he had to take a moment to contemplate the answer. "I guess that black has always been my favorite color. Although I am also very fond of violet." He said, looking at her eyes sweetly and scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Orange is nice too. It's a very vibrant color, and that is also good sometimes.

Esther just smiled as he rambled on in a roundabout way. Still, she found it interesting, so it wasn't really much like ranting at all. But after a while, Father Nightroad just stopped. It was rather sudden, and Esther had been very shocked to say the least. He eyes quickly made their way to the ground. "Father… is something wrong? Have I bothered you somehow?" She was very sensitive about these sorts of things, and tried to remember anything she could have done to make him mad or sad even. Abel seemed to notice that he drifted off into his thoughts and quickly attempted to cover it with his goofy smile.

"Nothing! It's nothing really, just a little insignificant… not even that!" he said, grabbing a hold of her shoulders and spinning her in a small circle. Father Nightroad really wanted to make it look convincing. Only a few days ago, she might have believed it. But now she knew him better. Perhaps she knew him too well, because she could tell that he was lying, and it only bothered her more that he would lie about something that had him so depressed only a moment earlier. Yet, somehow she found herself smiling.

He just looked so precious trying to hide it like that. "Then nothing must be a whole lot of something important when it comes to you." She said, pouting, still hoping that he might tell her. Father Nightroad let go of her and smiled. He held a finger to his forehead and chuckled. It seemed as if he was remembering something from a while ago. Esther was about to ask him what he was thinking about when he decided to tell her now before she asked about it anyway.

"Caterina used to say the same thing about me." Abel muttered, remembering his little so called fights with his dear friend Caterina. He had once discussed it with Esther. He even told her about the night that he met Caterina and how they met again later. So many of the things that he shared with no one, he could let out when he was with Esther. It was so nice to have her there, listening, and at the same time, he knew that she wasn't judging him and that she still thought the same of him as she always did.

Esther sighed. "You do think so highly of her. But, Father… stop dancing around it. What do you think of me?" It wasn't like she was expecting some sort of big confession. He expected that she couldn't even see the reason why he was so apprehensive about the subject. She was probably looking for some simple answer like: 'You're too rash sometimes, but a good friend.' Or something to that effect. But when he answered that question… he wanted to be able to tell her everything and give her the confession that she really deserved. But he was too scared… of rejection… of putting her in danger…

"Father Nightroad!" Sister Kate and the Professor were calling for him. _Saved._ He thought. But then, he realized a much simpler, much quicker way of confessing to her without Sister Kate and the Professor catching on. And he could get away with it.

"Sorry, Sister Esther. I shall have to catch up to you another time." He said, catching the disappointment in her eyes, but smiling and ruffling her hair. As for your last question… nothing. Nothing is the answer." But he smiled and waved and walked away, leaving a rather stunned and hurt Esther, unable to move. She wanted to say something… to ask him to explain or change his mind, but she couldn't as long as the other two were there. That, and she just couldn't bring herself to say or do anything. In the back of her mind though, she felt a nagging… something.

_Nothing. How could that be?_

Maybe he was referring to earlier…

_He said 'my last question' specifically._

But that can't be right.

"_Nothing! It's nothing really, just a little insignificant… not even that!"_

It's true.

_You're forgetting something…_

What?

"_Then nothing must be a whole lot of something important when it comes to you."_

A whole lot of something important?

_Something… important… to you…_

Esther smiled and wiped away the tears. How could she have forgotten so soon? But that still left a lot of questions, although, she felt much better and so much happier than she had ever been. Never had a word meant so much to her in all its meaning. Funny that that word was 'nothing'.

There's another little piece for you. A little sap, a little love, and... coming next... a new mission. Here are a few tid bits to get you excited for the next part...

Setting: The castle of Byakuya, known as "The Castle of Crystal Mirrors"

The Title of this Arc: Shattered Mirrors (Three parts, hopefully.)

In it you get to look forward to some fluff, some more action, and... I'm done. The rest you'll have to wait for...

OH! OVER 30 REVIEWS! YAY! Thanks. So... keep going! I love them all and I hope for plenty more... so... go review! Now! Pleasekthanx.

Michiyo Ichimaru


	9. Chapter Eight: Shattered Mirror Pt I

**Kingdom Come  
A Trinity Blood FanFic  
By Michiyo Ichimaru**

**Disclaimer:** Idon't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note: **This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much. Eventually my story will pick up with the original plot with a few twists and side-notes, hopefully. After reading chapter fifteen and sixteen, this chapter came out, knowing that I couldn't handle writing it the way that it was in the manga… those chapters made me cry…

**Chapter Eight: Shattered Mirrors Part I**

Esther looked at the castle with disdain. She was worried about this place and frankly, she didn't feel like she should be here. But Father Nightroad was beside her, and this was their job. Plus the fact that a mission sounded really good now, when she was thinking way too much about things. Thinking about such things was not good for her and it couldn't be healthy. Not to mention that it was against the rules. 'Push it away…' She told herself, gathering her thoughts.

"Name, a Byakuya Inuart. Says we've had no prior troubles with this guy. However, two girls that have gone missing might be here, so we have to investigate. This place is called the Castle of Crystal Mirrors. Interesting…" Esther couldn't tell if Abel was talking to her or not, but she was listening anyway. It had been another last minute case and she had to admit she knew nothing about this mission. "Well… let's go!" Able said, offering her a comforting smile.

It was enough, for now. "Yes." She said, following him quietly without asking questions. But it was always like that. Esther liked it like that. That was how she could tell that she trusted him for sure. Entering the castle, they found no surprises such as self opening doors, or magical doors that had no handles or levers. Instead, they got a much different surprise.

Well, it wasn't really a surprise, seeing as it was to be expected. But seeing it was quite a different matter. Everything from the floor to the ceiling was made of mirror fragments. Upon taking the first step, Esther became fixed by all the refractions of light and quite forgot which way was up and where she actually was, causing her to get dizzy and fall down. Rubbing her eyes, she felt the dizziness subside. Father Nightroad blinked a few times and smiled down at her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, helping her back to her feet. "It's really something, I must say. Enough to give you one nasty headache, too!" he laughed, rubbing his temples again. "I wonder, perhaps, if Byakuya isn't blind." At first it sounded just plain rude, but thinking about it, it didn't sound so crazy. After all, she knew neither of them was faring too well with it.

"It's not impossible though." Abel said. "Here, take my hand. Do you trust me? Close your eyes and follow my lead." Without question, Esther closed her eyes. She expected him to just start walking towards the door. However, she felt his arms go around her waist in a tight hug and her feet left the ground. Just shutting her eyes tighter, Esther simply waited for the whole thing to be over. "Okay. You can open your eyes now."

They were on the second floor. Looking down, she could see that they had flown through the roof. "If I would have opened my eyes…" Abel nodded. Added on to all that flying, it wouldn't have simply been just a headache. "But how did you know there was a hole in the ceiling right there?" she asked, impressed by his intelligence.

Laughing, Father Nightroad scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It reminded me off a kaleidoscope, and they all depend on the eye hole to look through." Esther's eyes widened. It had been one of his silly hunches again. The thought seriously scared her, yet he had never been wrong… never gave her a reason not to trust him. So… the next time he asked her to just trust him, she wouldn't question him. She would continue to trust him until she had a reason to say no to him, and she doubted that day would ever show itself.

This room wasn't nearly as bad. There were still mirrors, but it was just the floors and ceilings in this room. All the walls were covered in white and gold wallpaper, and there were three doors, all with big numbers on them in red. And they weren't numbers that seemed to make any sense either. The door right in front of them had a seven on it. The one to the left had a two on it, and the one behind them had thirteen on it.

Esther couldn't think of one trait linking the three numbers together and sighed. "Which one should we take?" she asked Abel faithfully. Abel looked at all thee of them and seemed deep in thought. A minute later, he pointed to the one with the two on it and pushed her forward. The room was safe… and it literally had a safe in it. "What made you pick this door?" she asked, once again admiring the man for his certainly deductive reasoning.

Abel laughed nervously. "Well… two girls went missing, right? Two…" Esther sighed. She wanted to laugh, but her life was on the line. But… this was part of what she admired about him. She wished that she could just go on a whim and do what she believed. But she always ended up doubting herself in the end and asking others for help.

Noticing her downcast look, Abel smiled warmly. "I'll let you put in the combination." He patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I believe in you!" he said, stepping back and pushing her forward. Instantly, Esther began to panic. Kneeling before the safe, she racked her brain for something… anything that could be the combination. Father Nightroad watched her intently and smiled, closing his eyes.

Looking back, she noticed that he was resting. 'He really does trust me… I have to give it my all! For him…' Turning the dial to three numbers, she paused, afraid to open the door. Abel opened one eye and peeked at her with a knowing smile on his face. "Don't doubt yourself. You have to believe in yourself or else you'll never think of your accomplishments as anything more than luck." He said, leaning over her and opening the door quickly and fearlessly.

Inside, was a crystal key. "See?" he said, inclining his head closer to hers. "If you don't try, you never will know what could happen. You'll only ever know could-have-beens, should-have-beens, and might-have-beens." He said, his voice now barely above a whisper. 'That's right… so… KISS HIM!' she screamed at herself

She scolded herself all the time. But she never imagined that one day, she might actually listen to that voice… They were so preoccupied that they never heard it all begin to crack…

There's part one. Kinda short, but I needed to start moving along their relationship. In the next part, we see what his reaction is, what the key will do, who the girls are, and learn a bit more about Byakuya Inuart. Please review and join me for the next exciting chapter!

Michiyo Ichimaru


	10. Chapter Nine: Shattered Mirror Pt II

**Kingdom Come  
A Trinity Blood FanFic  
By Michiyo Ichimaru**

**Disclaimer:** Idon't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note: **This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much. Eventually my story will pick up with the original plot with a few twists and side-notes, hopefully. After reading chapter fifteen and sixteen, this chapter came out, knowing that I couldn't handle writing it the way that it was in the manga… those chapters made me cry…

**Chapter Nine: Shattered Mirrors Part II**

Below her feet, Esther felt something shift. She had been so preoccupied that she didn't notice right away. Feeling it again, she looked down in time to watch the floor crack open and swallow them up. Esther felt his arms surround her, as his wings came out to stop them from crashing onto the floor. Holding back a scream, she wrapped her arms around his waist and waited to touch the ground again. "Where do you think we are now?" she asked, frowning and glancing about nervously.

This room was much different from the rooms they had been in before, and it frightened her. They were all mirrors, she suspected, but they were dark, almost black. But she could still see her reflection, and she knew that they were. At the last second, Abel must have grabbed the key, because she could feel it in his hand, pressing against her back. "I don't know." Touching onto the ground, Father Nightroad let go, taking the time to investigate. "Completely empty… no door… no window… no safe… no escape." He said, reverting to human and looking thoughtful.

"There has to be SOME way!" Esther said quickly, panicking. Just a second ago she had almost convinced herself to kiss him, and now she was with him… trapped and alone. Pacing, she felt along the black mirrors for some sort of secret passage, when she was sure she heard something. Glancing about fearfully, she looked for the source. It sounded like a laugh, when she heard it the second time. "Did you hear that?" she asked Abel, who also seemed a bit wary of his surroundings. Nodding, he beckoned her to his side, and held her protectively.

She didn't know what to say. Although she was shocked, it wasn't uncomfortable and she really did feel safe. Yet, she had yet to realize that it wasn't just because he wanted to. Looking forward, she screamed and threw her arms around him and held on to him with all her might.

In the face of the black mirror, was the image of a girl laughing and giggling at them. "What funny people! My name's Marci. You see… I came here about a week ago. Father Byakuya has made me feel so alive. I have never been so happy in my life. I used to be so depressed. But Father has made me feel complete… something I have never known! It's the most beautiful thing. Sister is here too… somewhere. I haven't seen her, but I know she is happy just like me. Yes… just as happy as me."

Her voice was feint and strange somehow. Esther saw a bandage on her neck and chose to inquire. "What happened to you?" She asked, pointing to the spot on her neck. Marci felt in the spot where Esther had pointed and shrugged. "I had that when I got here. Father said he didn't know, and I couldn't remember. I never worried much about it. What does it matter?" Abel met Esther's eyes and nodded sadly. "What? What do you know that I don't! Oooooh. I'm just being paranoid, and you're just being a meanie!" she grumbled.

"Wait! " Esther called after her, but the girl disappeared. Gingerly touching the glass surface where the girl had once been, she found that it was completely solid. Being impulsive, she hit the surface and heard a dull rattle. "I think its hollow… could you break through it Father Nightroad?" she asked. "Maybe then we could follow her and get out of here. We need to find her sister too! If they have become vampires, either of them could be in danger… not just for themselves, but of hurting others, as well."

Breaking the surface with the use of Esther's gun, added with his sheer force, Abel smiled triumphantly. "We should hurry." Gathering the courage that remained within her, Esther broke into a slow run, listening for the girl's feint steps ahead of her. "I think she's soon going to stop." Abel said, listening in closely on her. Nodding her head in agreement, Esther suddenly heard another set of footsteps and stopped. They were going in almost opposite directions.

Then there was a scream and one of the sets of footsteps stopped…

Esther and Abel both took off towards the scream out of instinct and fear. It was their job to protect, and these girls as well as their master, were very dangerous. There was a different girl standing there. In front of her was a full length mirror. She must have knocked it over as she was running by. Although she didn't appear hurt, she looked like she was in great pain and had a fearful look on her face. Tearing at her hair, she kept muttering something.

"Father will be very mad… I broke the Crystal Mirror." The two onlookers exchanged glances and wondered what she was talking about. She turned to them with a wide eyed look and shuddered. "Don't look into it, mortals! Not at the broken shards." But it was too late. As soon as Esther had seen the girl's face, she had begun investigating, and the mirror just seemed to draw her attention in. The shards seemed to glisten in the light, and it was a heavenly sight.

Her knees were wobbly all of a sudden, and she was drifting in and out. Vaguely, she could hear Father Nightroad and the girl in the background, calling to her, but she was lost in a trance. All she could see were the shifting colors and blurry reflections in the mirror. Each fragment seemed to distort and then clear itself into a much more crisp image. Then there was this tearing pain…

Agony beyond anything she had ever felt before. The colors seemed to rapidly flash in her eyes, blinding her and frightening her. It felt as though she was being pulled in multiple directions. Esther tried to fight back, but she couldn't move or pull away. This was an invisible force, and there was no point in fighting back. But it hurt so badly. Her throat was clogged, and she couldn't even scream for help or alert Father Nightroad. For a while, everything went black, and Esther realized that her eyes were shut and she could no longer hear the voices outside.

It was a little world, all it's own… and yet it seemed so big, and she felt lost. For an instant, she felt complete terror. After that, there was a moment of total anger, aimed at anyone else other than herself. There was a time when she couldn't stop crying for a few seconds, and a time when she couldn't stop laughing. When her mood swings seemed to have ended, she smiled for a second, and felt light and airy once more, as if a huge weight was removed from her shoulders.

But after that… the happiness subsided, and she just felt alone and empty… drained of all life, and she slumped to the floor in an unconscious realm of uncertainty. Although she wanted to cry out to Father Nightroad, she seemed to have lost the will to move, to act, or to speak. The only thing she wanted to do right then, was sit there and rest. She felt his presence with her, and she knew she was not alone… but there was nothing that she could do. For the moment though, she didn't seem to mind, though.

Just being able to rest was nice…

"What happened to her?!" Abel demanded forcefully, glaring at the girl. He was holding Esther in his arms. A few moments ago, she had been twitching uncomfortably and he had gone to comfort her. Now he just wanted to see her well again. He was afraid of losing her. The girl shook her head and frowned deeply, pointing to the mirror, but directing his gaze away before he looked into it's sheer reflection.

"It is the Crystal Mirror… the artifact which this castle was built upon. There's a story that explains it. Five sisters each built this mirror. One was a content, happy girl, who started the mirror as a gift for her mother. The second girl was a goofy one who took few things seriously, and she helped because she was bored of everyday life. Next, there was a sister who was always sad and emotional… crying all the time. She wanted to help so that she could repent for the trouble she caused everyone. The next sister was a scared and frightened girl who built the mirror because she thought if she didn't her sisters would get mad and strike back."

"The last sister, who finished it, was a hateful and vengeful one. She finished the mirror, however, when she finished it, she left it uneven at the bottom, hoping that it would fall on her mother one day. And it did. Ever since that day, it has been said that the spirit of the girls were trapped in here forever to make up for their sins. When it's broken, it breaks into sections… as does the person who looks in to it. Your friend is very lost, and she's about to see sides of herself that she may have never realized existed."

Tee hee. There ya go. If you want a quick update, please review bunches and bunches. Thanks and sorry it took so long. Later!

Michiyo Ichimaru

Michiyo Ichimaru


	11. Chapter Ten: Shattered Mirror Pt III

**Kingdom Come  
A Trinity Blood FanFic  
By Michiyo Ichimaru**

**Disclaimer:** Idon't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note: **This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much. Eventually my story will pick up with the original plot with a few twists and side-notes, hopefully. After reading chapter fifteen and sixteen, this chapter came out, knowing that I couldn't handle writing it the way that it was in the manga… those chapters made me cry…

**Chapter Ten: Shattered Mirrors Part III**

She wondered how long she had been lying there. Unlike she hoped, her energy refused to come back. Remembering the feelings she had, she frowned and wondered if maybe she was knocked out and having a bad nightmare. But she really doubted it. The feelings were so raw and powerful, and she believed it. Pushing herself up off the wall, she came face to face with herself, when she was ten years old. Blinking back in surprise, she looked at the younger self and realized that she was crying.

"Gone… gone… gone… all gone. Esther is alone. I am all alone." The young girl chanted as the tears rolled down her face. High pitched sobs racked her body and she was shaking all over. Esther kneeled next to her and wondered if that was really her. Maybe this was a nightmare all along… Taking the girl's hand, she did the only thing that she could think to do in such a situation. She tried to calm the child.

The girl pulled away, but Esther was stronger than the ten-year-old. "You're not alone!" She said. "I bet there are a lot of people who are really worried about you right now! Some people leave you, but they don't leave you alone. There are always new people that will come along and comfort you. And you'll move on, but as long as you never forget the people who have passed on after all the years of guidance… if you remember the things that made you laugh, smile, and sing… they will be with you too."

When Esther let go, the girl smiled and wiped away her tears. "You are not alone… there are people who care about you… who are worried about you. No one is alone… just remember…" Esther nodded, but when she brought her head back up, the little girl was gone. Looking around, Esther couldn't see her anywhere. 'I really am going crazy…' she said, squinting into the distance, when she saw a light. It was small, but she started running towards it, and it got larger and larger.

Esther started to wonder if this was part of the castle… some sort of test from its master. There was another Esther there… older. She was holding on to a gun. Her body shook silently and her eyes were wide and fearful. Esther was afraid of going to console her, scared that the girl might use the gun on her. Then she recognized that gun… it was the same gun that had belonged to her, before she had joined Father Nightroad. Those were very frightening days…

"I'm scared, Dietrich… I'm scared." The girl whispered. Her voice was cracking, and the hand that held the gun was shaking most of all. Esther slowly came up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. As she expected, the girl jumped up, frightened. "Dietrich!" She shouted, aiming the gun at Esther. Her arm was still shaking too much, but Esther knew that she had to do something. 'She thinks that I'm the man who supposedly killed…' her eyes widened quickly.

"No! Please, it's okay! I know you're hurting, but he's a bad man. He only wants to hurt you… so you have to let him go." Esther said. The girl dropped the gun, but continued looking at Esther with fear in her eyes. "It's okay to be afraid sometimes. There are a lot of scary things in the world. But you can also let your friends help you. If you let them help you, you don't have to carry all the weight on your own. It's okay to be afraid, just don't let it get the best of you… you can be strong and still be afraid…"

The girl dropped to her knees. "You can be strong… even if you're afraid. It's okay to ask for help…" And right before her eyes, the second girl disappeared, just as the first had. 'Okay… this is getting really weird.' Before she even had time to look around, someone tapped her on the shoulder. There was a bit of laughter, and this girl was about the same age as the last, but very… different. She stuck out her tongue at Esther and started running. Confused, Esther did what came to mind, and ran after her.

When she finally caught up, the girl was giggling and skipping about in a circle. Esther frowned. By this time, she was getting irritated. "Be serious! You have to grow up!" The girl stopped very suddenly and stood very stiffly. Turning to face Esther slowly, she looked downright depressed. Esther was so shocked by how seriously the girl too her. And she realized that she was being unfair, and much too harsh. Heck, she enjoyed acting goofy of occasion. Didn't that maker her a hypocrite?

"What I meant to say was… you need to be serious sometimes. There are a lot of dangerous things out there, and you can't just go around acting like life's a picnic! You could get hurt. But it's okay to relax sometimes and just have fun. Life isn't all about work and suffering. You can be both if you just stop and realize when it's a good time to be silly and when it's a good time to get serious." Esther said, smiling.

The girl returned her smile and started skipping around Esther. "Realize when it's a good time to be silly and when it's a good time to get serious. Got it!" She never finished the circle. By the time Esther got around to looking at her, she had already vanished. Esther had some things to realize about herself, too. 'These really are fragments of me… of what I was like at different times of my life. Times when I easily let one emotion or another take over my whole being, when I should have showed some restraint…'

In the clearing, there were two girls that looked just like her. One was frowning deeply, and the other was still too far away. "Why are you so mad?" Esther asked the first girl. Her fists were clenched as well as her teeth. She looked absolutely furious.

"Do I really NEED a reason?" She snapped back, looking away. Esther frowned, and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look into her eyes.

"There has to be something. You look like someone just stole something precious from you… or broke something you cared deeply about. It isn't nice when people do these things. But people make mistakes. And it's not good to dwell on such things. While you're sulking, you miss all the wonderful things in life, and you lose a lot of friends just because you can't forgive them. It's okay to be mad, but you should also try to understand and forgive."

"Understand and… forgive." The girl said, barely above a whisper. "It's okay to get mad… but it's not good to dwell. You should understand and forgive. I think I understand." The girl said, hugging Esther. And she had disappeared before they pulled apart.

Stepping forward, she saw the other girl. This girl didn't seem too extreme at all. She was smiling, but her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "I never meant for things to turn out this way. I was weak, and all the other emotions were so strong. I could have just been happy… pure and simple, but I let things like fear, and sadness, anger, and giddiness overwhelm me. If I had just been happy…"

"What you need is a nice balance. You can get sad, scared, angry, happy, or silly. But don't ever let one of them become you. Each person is different, and each person has their own balance of these. People that are overcome by their emotions can't survive. So be happy… laugh… cry… be afraid… but when that's over… move on… be something else. And most importantly, be yourself."

The last girl smiled, holding out her hand to Esther. "That's right. Be yourself… do what you think is right… it's okay to ask for things… you can laugh, cry, be afraid, and get angry… but when it's all over… just don't let it change who you are." Esther felt much better, energized and fulfilled. Taking the girl's hand, she felt herself waking up…

"Esther!" Abel shouted, helping her up onto her feet. "Are you alright? What happened?" Esther wondered what she could possibly say to make him understand. But there wasn't anything she could do. This was something for her… Turning to the girl who knocked over the mirror, Esther handed her the key.

"It's up to you now… you have the key. So, you can stay here or leave if you want." Abel opened his mouth to protest, but Esther had already started dragging him out, down the tunnel, towards the only other door. "Let them go… please. I don't want to make decisions for other people. It's hard enough making my own decisions. And if they are really happy as Marci said, then I don't want to take their happiness away. If they don't have that, then what will happen to the balance of emotions that they've created? They could become angry, scared, depressed, or even go insane and start taking everything as a joke!"

Abel laughed and ruffled her hair. "You've changed." Esther smiled. She hadn't realized it, but she felt much better now. _"…do what you think is right… it's okay to ask for things."_ Esther smiled slightly.

"Come here…" she said, beckoning him to lean down to her height. He did so without question, and she took the opportunity. Esther wrapped her arms around him and placed her lips gently against his. Her cheeks were more than a bit pink, but it was comfortable too, even after it was over. Smiling rather pleasantly, Father Nightroad took her hand into his as they continued walking. Who knew what tomorrow was going to be like, or if everything would work out. Esther wasn't afraid to admit that she was a little bit scared, because it was okay to be scared sometimes.

But she was also happy.

Woot! End of the Shattered Mirror Arc. Funny thing is, I don't know yet what I want to do with the next arc, and if I don't get any ideas, you don't get anymore story. I could end it here… P but that would be mean, wouldn't it? So, if you have any ideas for a continuation, please share them! Reviews are still highly appreciated. I love them. So give them… please… Thanks to evilangel990 for the numerous reviews! Yes, I know I'm good at suspense… I thought I'd need it to keep people reading. That's why I try to update often. Until then…

Michiyo Ichimaru


	12. Chapter Eleven: years days memories

**Kingdom Come  
A Trinity Blood FanFic  
By Michiyo Ichimaru**

**Disclaimer:** Idon't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note: **This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much. Eventually my story will pick up with the original plot with a few twists and side-notes, hopefully. After reading chapter fifteen and sixteen, this chapter came out, knowing that I couldn't handle writing it the way that it was in the manga… those chapters made me cry…

**Chapter Eleven: Years, Days, Memories, Future**

How many days had it been? Esther wasn't sure of herself. Just how long was she supposed to sit here and smile about nothing? It was killing her inside. She had seen that… thing. Although she had been lost and confused, she had been the one who followed him. Deep down, she had wanted to know and it was Esther who wanted to get involved in first place. But who would have guessed that the road she took would lead her here? Who could have known that she would leave her happy life behind for this?

It was certainly nicer. The walls were dark red, with gold hangings and all sorts of beautiful paintings and pictures. Most of them, she had no recollection of, although she was even in a few of them. But she had just been a mere infant then. No one ever told her that she was of royal blood. No one warned her that one day it would be her duty to lead the people. As a matter of fact, she hadn't the slightest idea what they expected of her. What could she possibly give them? There were other things she'd rather be doing…

'Like searching for Father Nightroad…' Since Cain attacked, there had been no word from the mysterious black-winged Krusnik. All she wanted was a crummy letter, was that so much to ask? Plopping down on the canopy bed, she considered running away again. But she couldn't just abandon all her responsibilities at a moments notice, even if it was for him. "Your Majesty!" There was a violent pounding on the door. It was most definitely her advisor, telling her she was late again, and to remind her of all the things she had to do today yet.

Running away didn't seem like such a bad idea… "Come in, come in Geri, or you'll break my door!" Esther said. She had opened the door before she had even finished her sentence. Geri was very tall and extremely thin. Outside of the battlefield, she was very awkward in her movements. However, when she fought, she had this amazing sense of grace and power that made her a very worthy aid to the Queen. 'She'd probably make a better Queen image than I would, if only she wasn't so clumsy…'

"Your Highness, you know you have a meeting with… ARE YOU LISTENING? You act as if you don't care! This means a lot to all of us, so I'd appreciate it if you started acting like the Queen we need you to be." Esther sat there, listening. It hurt her, really it did. But she didn't know anything about being a queen and her heart was elsewhere. She knew that the people of Albion deserved better than this. It just wasn't something she could give them. Not as long as she had HIM to worry about. All she wanted was the be with him again… fighting for good, like they used to.

"I know you are right. How could I possibly ignore it? I thought that possibly, if I did a bad enough job, they'd kick me out. But they seem to love me more, the harder I try. Your people deserve the best. I took this job because they needed me at a time when everything was falling apart. Now that things are steady, though, I keep reminding myself that there is something that I NEED to do, and WANT to do. I feel helpless to help the people of Albion, and helpless to help him…"

Geri had become very quiet and awfully still. "You saved us. Whatever you wanted or needed, you put aside. If it hadn't been for you, we would have been lost. I saw that person that you were in the beginning and wondered where she went. The only thing I saw was how strong you were, and what a great Queen you had become in an instant. I never once thought that maybe we took something away from you. We gave you the crown so suddenly, I couldn't see how it could be anything but an honor. Now I see."

Esther smiled, hugging her advisor. Most people would have said it was improper behavior for a queen, but Esther didn't care. "Thank you. Maybe if I would have known sooner, it wouldn't have happened this way. But I have dreams and goals that lie far outside these walls. Someone I care about has left to fight alone, and I want to be with him, even if he's avoiding me to keep me out, because he would have done the same for me. He taught me to believe in myself and this is what I believe in."

"You would make a great queen, Geri… Take care of things until I get back?"

Saluting her, Geri nodded. "Of course I will! And when it's all over… when you have done what you wanted to, and fulfilled those needs, maybe you could come back here. As long as I stand here, the throne will always officially be yours." Esther didn't know if that was possible, or if that's what she would do, but knowing that she had the choice and that someone would wait for her felt warm in her stomach.

"I will." Esther said, looking out the window. "Prepare me a set of civilian clothes. Keep it low profile. I'm leaving…" Geri nodded and instantly rushed to find the former queen some clothes for her trip. Esther didn't have many things to prepare. She simply took a sack and threw a bit of money – much more than she ever had as a nun, into the sack along with a few other essentials such as a brush, first aid, and food for the journey. It wasn't long after she finished that that Geri returned with a plain brown skirt that went a little past her knees and a plain white button up shirt.

Then she gave her a shawl to cover her face and body from the people's sight and from the cold, until she got far enough away from Albion. "Thank you, all of this is perfect." Geri smiled in satisfaction and led Esther out the back exit, a small secret passage that was meant for emergencies such as fires, but worked just as well in this case.

Esther took off immediately, unsure of where she was going, or where he was… but she knew that she was going to find Father Nightroad, and that she was going to help him. Making sure to cover her face, she continued walking towards her future in the distance…

Here it is, thanks to evilangel990 for her suggestions. This is the one I chose. Thanks to all my reviewers, I hope you'll keep reviewing. Thanks. until then…

Michiyo Ichimaru


	13. Chapter Twelve: As the World Falls Down

**Kingdom Come  
A Trinity Blood FanFic  
By Michiyo Ichimaru**

**Disclaimer** Idon't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note**This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much. Eventually my story will pick up with the original plot with a few twists and side-notes, hopefully. After reading chapter fifteen and sixteen, this chapter came out, knowing that I couldn't handle writing it the way that it was in the manga… those chapters made me cry…

**Chapter Twelve: As the World Falls Down**

One couldn't have asked for a better day. The weather was gorgeous and the temperature was just right. Esther kept her hood pulled up tightly over her head. Until she got out of Albion, she knew she wasn't safe. If someone spotted her face they would know immediately who she was and report her before she could say, "God have mercy!" Munching on a small piece of bread, Esther observed the other people around her with vague curiosity. She didn't know much about the people in their everyday lives. Something about it was quite beautiful even if it was simple.

And taking note of the commoner's clothing, she assumed that she wouldn't look too out of place. Everyone wore dark and light browns. Some even wore cloaks like she did. Taking a break near the edge of town, Esther needed a drink. Going inside the building, Esther noticed two things. One, no one paid much attention to her, so she didn't stand out. That's because of number two, a strange pair that seemed to be traveling together. Everyone seemed to focus all their attention on them. As did she, the moment she saw them.

Running up to them and tackling them was not an option, she reminded herself, as she looked on. Abel Nightroad and his companion Ion were seated in the back, ordering their drinks. Father Nightroad was undoubtedly ordering his milk tea with thirteen sugars, she thought happily. But she couldn't even announce her presence. Not here… not until she was out of this place and alone with just the two of them. But what if they stayed late? Esther was torn between impatience and excitement, and fear of being caught and losing the chance.

But she was happy. He was alright… through hell and back, but he was alright. Abel looked tired. It made him look much older than he was, and she hated this new look of sadness. All she wanted to do was wipe it away and bring back the days when they had been happy together. Even now, she wasn't sure that it was possible for them to be together just yet. But that didn't matter, because it was only a question of when. And she would wait forever until the day they could.

_Wait… when such the big change? When did I become so sure of myself?_

Smiling, she realized it didn't matter. There wasn't enough to hold her back. Slinking back into a seat at the table next to theirs, with her back to them, she ordered a small tea, and listened intently, in case they said something that she could pick up. But both seemed in a calm silence, neither knowing what to say. Convinced that neither would notice, she glanced over her shoulder at Abel, who seemed to have already locked his eyes on her. Blushing, she quickly turned away, muttering an apology. "I'm sorry!" she practically squeaked.

"It's alright." Abel said, now fully intrigued, and walking over to sit next to her. "Everyone seems to be doing it." He seemed to be studying her, as she tried to avoid his gaze just enough to hide her identity. Stopping, Abel scratched his chin. "Do I… know you from somewhere?"

Esther whispered, unable to contain herself anymore. "Abel, it's me… Esther." She said, leaning in slightly and letting the hood up slightly. Abel almost choked out of shock. Leaning closer, he took in her strange appearance. He heard that Esther had become Queen, and this was certainly not the garb of a queen. Glaring, Esther quickly motioned for him to shut up. When she looked around, she noticed that everyone's eyes had moved to her now that they saw him with her. Sighing, Esther grabbed his arm and started dragging him off.

Seeing this, Ion quickly ran to catch up with his companion who was being taken away so suddenly. "What about my tea?!" Abel cried out forlornly. The maid looked on in a stupor as she watched the man be dragged away. Looking at the tea, she suddenly wondered what she was going to do with it now. Taking a sip, she choked and threw it out, shaking her head in disgust. Outside, Abel was finally freed from Esther's death grip. "Esther, what are you doing here, Esther? I thought you were the queen…"

"Of course I was! But did you really believe I'd just sit there and be content ruling the country, when the WORLD is FALLING APPART?" She shouted. "I saw that fight, don't you know!? I watched you and that terrible man fight. And I saw what he did to Dietrich… one of his own people. I knew that I couldn't just let you go off on your own. Not without me! I… kinda ran away." She said. When Abel didn't say anything, Esther began to doubt her choices. Maybe he didn't want her help and just didn't know how to tell her that nicely, without hurting her.

Abel took the hood off of her and looked her in the eye. "Esther, I really don't think you should get involved in this fight. It has always been my desire to take care of this. I suppose, in a way, I am responsible for it as well. You shouldn't have to stand by me and help me fix my problems. Not when it's obviously so dangerous. I don't want to see you get hurt, you know that. Even after all this time…"

"ABEL! How can I possibly turn away? This isn't just about you anymore! Even if you started it, there is a lot more at stake now. But that doesn't matter… even if it was just you… just your world that was being turned around, I would still fight." Esther blushed. "Since you left, I haven't known what to do with myself. All that's left for me is this job that I don't even know how to do at all. And I don't even LIKE the job. It's nice to do good things for the people, but I don't just sit around like that. I can't…"

Hushing her with one finger to the center of her lips, Abel smiled. "Do you promise to fight and keep fighting, even as the world falls down around us? Can you stay by my side until a time when I am free from my sin and have repaid my debts? Will you wait and fight with me until then? And after that… who knows. I don't know that I'm that hopeful in the first place. But if that's what you want... I mean REALLY want. Then I will be happy to have you by my side, and protect you until then." A bright grin spread across Esther's face.

Never before had she felt such a surge of happiness. "Oh, Abel!" she shouted, throwing her arms about his waist and pulling herself as close as she could to his chest. "It is what I want… more than anything in the world! Thank you, thank you… I know you won't regret it. I'll do anything that I can to help you." Replacing her hood, she looked around to make sure no one had seen her well enough to recognize her. "But… until we get out of Albion… let's leave the hood on, please. I don't want to get dragged back. As long as no one finds me, Geri can cover for me."

Young Ion was still trying to comprehend what was going on. Though he knew Esther very well, it seemed like there were things he didn't know about between them. Something had changed. "Lady Esther…" he piped in, through the silence. "It's very good to see you again. And… well… working together again will be a great honor." He smiled, extending his hand to her and shaking her hand amiably. Esther looked just as pleased as he did to see her.

Abel smiled. "The three of us sure make a strange combination." He laughed, scratching his head. Esther shook her head.

"Not as strange as it was with you and Father Tres." She said, giggling. Regarding the suggestion, Abel realized that she was right. "Those were some good days. I just hope things can be that way after all this is over." Esther thought back on all the time that she had spent with Abel and the various other friends she made along the way. So many good things and bad things had happened. All the bad, just made the good all the better. "Do you remember when we first met, Abel?" she asked curiously, smiling at him.

Thinking about it for a second, Abel nodded and smiled. "You mean… the very first time? I ran into you and lost my glasses. You looked at me like I was crazy. After that, I was sure you didn't like me."

"You just… had a strong personality." Esther laughed. "That and the look on your face… that's really why I liked you in the first place. And when you came to save Ion and me. You climbed all the way up the building… and just in time, too!" she smiled in Ion's direction. He nodded happily, glad to have something to remember with them. He wondered if she realized that he felt a bit out of place.

"We still have the future. It's just our job to make it a good and happy future. It's almost time for the train. And we have to pick up another ticket yet. I think we should start moving now." Esther and Ion both agreed. "It's not far away, so we should have plenty of time. But… we have to put into account my strange magnetism for trouble and disaster." Abel blushed, scratching his head sheepishly. Esther laughed and nodded.

She felt at home once more. She didn't need the crown… she had her friends.

* * *

Okay, there's another chapter. Hope you liked it. Please keep reviewing. I have so many already that it's wonderful. So keep going! Thanks, until next time.

Michiyo Ichimaru


	14. Chapter Thirteen: White Winged Demon

**Kingdom Come  
A Trinity Blood FanFic  
By Michiyo Ichimaru**

**Disclaimer** Idon't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note**This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much. Eventually my story will pick up with the original plot with a few twists and side-notes, hopefully. After reading chapter fifteen and sixteen, this chapter came out, knowing that I couldn't handle writing it the way that it was in the manga… those chapters made me cry…

**Chapter Thirteen: The White Winged Demon**

The train was supposed to take them all the way out of Albion. But they were definitely not out of Albion yet, and the train had stopped in the middle of nowhere very suddenly with a screech and hiss. A hush fell over all the people save for the tiny rush of curious whispers going down the line. Three curious faces exchanged glances nervously, without trying to draw attention though. One was a young woman, the other two were men: a younger and an older. The older man was tall, with long flowing silver hair tied back. The girl was obviously attempting to hide from the eyes of the people in a drawn cloak, and the younger boy was just simple: not hiding, but not standing out either.

"Father, I…" Esther whispered, hoping to ask him what he thought of the situation they were in. But she hadn't hoped for a hand over her mouth, practically slapping her with its force. His eyes were wide and unnatural. His entire body seemed to stand on end as he glanced about nervously. Standing abruptly, he released Esther as if he hadn't even realized he had held her mouth shut in the first place. Walking like he was in a trance, he made his way towards the front.

Quickly, both Esther and Ion rushed to stop him. "Don't be so reckless! What's wrong?" Esther asked in a hushed manner, noticing the way that everyone was suddenly staring at them. But when she looked back at Abel, his eyes were burning a fiery color, and he was preparing himself to power up into the Krusnik. Gasping, Esther stood back, pulling Ion with her. Whatever it was, it obviously bothered Abel more than a little. He had withdrawn himself so far that it was impossible to even reach him with her words. And that bothered her immensely. She wanted to hold him and make him stop.

She hated it when he became violent. Protecting someone was quite another thing. But this seemed to be pure hatred just for the sake of killing whatever was out there, and it frightened her. Esther hadn't seen him act that way since the day he supposedly died. Then she remembered the demon… he had white wings like an angel, but was far from it, from what she had heard within the Vatican and from Father Nightroad himself at times, when he felt like divulging a few of his darker feelings and secrets. They all stemmed from this man… this creature…

And she knew that this was the thing he was hunting. This was the creature that he left the Vatican to hunt and to kill. For some reason, this was the ghost from the past that Abel had to kill to make things right again with himself. There was so much she didn't understand, but at least that much she was sure of. And if that was the case, she felt no remorse for the demon. She had seen the wicked creature for herself and knew instantly that deep inside that creature was more than what his appearances showed. There was something dark hidden in all the white. He smelt of blood and death… of nastiness and… hell…

He was a being sent purely from Hell…

"Please…" Esther begged. "Be careful." He seemed to hear her because he nodded before taking out the emergency hatch and exiting to the roof. Ion and Esther both gasped, running to the hole to look out and see what they could of what was going on. When they were sure both were gone and far out of reach, they climbed up on to the roof cautiously to get a better look. Abel must have been thrown from the train quickly, because when they looked, he was laying in the grass on the plain they were passing by. "FATHER NIGHTROAD!" Esther shouted histerically, ready to jump off after him.

Ion held her back. "You can't! You'll die!" Esther struggled, but the tears weakened her, and soon all she could do was protest in a weak voice, slumped against Ion's body.

"I don't want to be separated from him again… I won't let him…"

But she stopped, watching the terrible white winged demon walking towards them. "Hello, girl." He said with a wicked grin on his face. She didn't like the way he showed his teeth, like a vicious monster – it made her very uneasy. "It's been a while. You look different without the silly white get-up." He laughed, pointing at her new outfit.

"But I thought you were supposed to be queen… don't tell me you came back for him? God you are so pathetic." he grinned. "That's okay. I will purge you of your weaknesses. Come with me, sweet angel. We'll both get what we want. You can help your pathetic people, and I can destroy him… for good. And don't tell me that you would pick him over all the people you rule… that's too selfish for former "Sister" Esther." He laughed maliciously.

It certainly was a good point. But it meant little to her. She laughed back, in a harsh, mocking voice. "I'm not their queen anymore. I gave that up, and it's in the hands of someone much more capable. I gave them to her in order to be able to do what I wanted. That includes protecting Father… I mean… Abel." She huffed.

Cain laughed and shook his head. "You would make a good queen for me, with your single-track mind and determination. I find these qualities highly admirable. And I'd be lying if I didn't say you looked ugly… far from it, in fact."

"Shut up you cretin!" Abel shouted, jumping back onto the train, his wings outstretched to the sky. "You and I both know why you're doing this. We have to end this… it's between us!" he growled furiously.

"Oh, but that's no fun. I want to test my limits. I want to go further… as far as this demon body they gave me can go. I want to prove my strength so that I can accept the full potential of what I have been given… and use it. But you are the only one I can do that with. However, you've locked your true power deep down for many reasons… the Vatican, the girl, helping people…" He extended his wings and beat them once, lifting himself a meter up into the air.

"I'll see you on the battlefield. Maybe then you can find the strength to use your real powers with abandon… I don't care what I have to do… I could care less how much I have to hurt you. I will do anything to make you into the monster you are supposed to be. And then we will finally see who is meant to come out on top."

Esther shivered. When she looked back up, Cain was gone and Abel was slumped down on the ground in his human form. "Abel!" Esther shouted, running to his side. "Don't worry about it. We'll find a way. I think the train is gonna start moving soon. We should get back inside." Ion almost stumbled when it started up again. Abel nodded and slowly rose.

"Thank you Esther… Ion… I'm going to need it." He smiled. "But…" he added. "If he comes after you…" Esther stopped him, pushing him back down into the train.

"Stop. Don't even go there. We made a promise… I'm staying by your side until this is over." Esther reprimanded.

Ion nodded, jumping down after Esther. "I feel the same."

Everyone was staring at them. Laughing nervously the three of them quickly took their seats and waited for the glares to stop before they would even say anything else. Then, Abel was the one to speak up. "With you two, at least if I'm not as strong as him or stronger, at least I know I'm luckier." He smiled, trying to ease his mind.

He didn't want to know what would happen next, when they got off the train. He liked dreaming about a world where he survived this ordeal and went on to enjoy the future with his friends… heck, he'd even rejoin the church. But it didn't matter. Soon he was so tired he fell asleep.

Sorry it took me so long. I had to finish final exams and then I had a bit of a brain freeze after being dormant so long. So in response to my update, you should all review. I promise I won't take this long anymore now that I have the free time that comes with summer. Thanks, and I hope you enjoyed it.

Michiyo Ichimaru


	15. Chapter Fourteen: A Silver Feather

**Kingdom Come  
A Trinity Blood FanFic  
By Michiyo Ichimaru**

**Disclaimer** Idon't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note**This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much. Eventually my story will pick up with the original plot with a few twists and side-notes, hopefully. After reading chapter fifteen and sixteen, this chapter came out, knowing that I couldn't handle writing it the way that it was in the manga… those chapters made me cry…

**Chapter Fourteen: A Silver Feather**

"FATHER NIGHTROAD!" Esther shouted, startling the silver haired man out of sleep. He saw his two companions standing there glaring at him. Then he realized that they were on the train and nearly everyone else had already departed. The announcer came over the speaker again with a loud click.

_**I repeat: This is the last stop for today. Please exit the car safely to the right. I hope you enjoyed your ride with us. The next run is at four o'clock sharp.**_

Abel slapped himself thoroughly and jumped up. "I'm so sorry!" he apologized, bowing neatly at the waist as was his habit. From his work with the church of course, what with all its formalities. Esther giggled and shook her head, grabbing her small satchel and exiting first when Ion motioned for her to do so, being the lady of their entourage.

With a smiled, Esther shook her head. "Don't worry so much. We're all very tired, so we should find a place to stay for the night. I'm sure there's an inn around here somewhere. Once we're all rested up, things will be much better." But she wasn't as confident as she sounded. Actually, she was scared out of her mind. Seeing Cain had shook Abel to the core, and she knew that. He was keeping it to himself, but she could see it clearly.

They were little hints that no one else would pick up on and she knew that too. However, knowing him as well as she did, she didn't miss a thing. He clenched and unclenched his hands nervously as they walked. Most people don't stop talking when they are nervous. When Abel Nightroad got nervous, he didn't speak at all. Esther hated the silence, but Ion didn't seem to notice.

It was a small inn on the edge of the town, but it was good enough. They agreed to take two rooms upstairs and paid the man for one day. As run down as the place seemed, all the rooms were well-kept, thanks to a young woman they saw running about. She didn't look like a maid but she did the work of one without complaint.

Ion wanted to explore the town. He asked Esther to come with him but she knew that Abel was staying and she wanted to stay with him to make sure he would be okay. Abel didn't say anything but excused himself to the room he and Ion would share. Esther knew he would be sleeping, so she was glad to see he didn't lock the room before he lay down.

Finally alone, Abel let out a steady stream of air and threw himself down on the bed. A lot of things plagued his mind, but he ignored them in the hopes of getting to sleep in peace. Still fully clothed, Abel pulled the covers over himself and put his glasses on the bedside table. Abel yawned and closed his eyes wearily, listening to the sounds around him and letting them put him to sleep.

_A dark corridor… suddenly, as if a light switch had been flipped, the walls practically glowed to life. He recognized this place for he had revisited it many times in his sleep. Mostly in nightmares, but also in dreams… Feeling tied down, he struggled, but was unable to move. A lot of images flashed before his eyes very quickly, and a great deal of them he hadn't the time to make out before they were gone again. But the feeling the images brought up wouldn't change._

_From the far end of the corridor, he saw something slithering closer, on the floor. When it got closer, Abel realized with a terrible sinking feeling that it was blood… and a lot of it. Soon he was standing in it… drowning in it. On the river of blood coasted a single, untainted feather so pure and white that it appeared silver in the bright light._

He awoke with a start. Looking around the room, he remembered all that happened and sighed, realizing it was all just a dream. Then he glanced at his clock, curious as to how long he had been sleeping. Seeing that barely an hour had passed, Abel shuddered at the thought of trying to sleep again. He wasn't accustomed to dreams. In fact, he was the kind of person who didn't have them unless completely perturbed.

Not that he was denying how much the earlier encounter had shaken him. It was just… unsettling. Standing, Abel wondered what he should do about it. Trying to go back to sleep was almost pointless and he didn't want to be hounded by these unending visions of his mental instability. What he needed was someone he could confide in. And so began his walk to Esther's room…

Esther greeted him with a worried look and quickly allowed him entrance. "Do you… have nightmares often? Or even dreams… do you?" he asked, sitting on the chair at her bedside. She pondered the question and shook her head, sitting on the edge of her bed.

"No… Well… I used to, I should say. The last time I had such dreams, was back before you ran off in search of him. It was before I even saw Krusnik. It was a recurring dream that was triggered by a strange thing that happened to me the first time we met. The sound of wings beating… I couldn't help but hear it. And it came back fairly often. But it stopped after I saw it."

Abel nodded. "I didn't know. It sounds like an amazing perception on your part." He smiled softly. "I don't dream often. But when I do, I can't get rid of them. It only happens during really trying times… like now."

She frowned, biting her lip. "Well… a clue…" she mumbled, almost completely to herself. "What stood out to you in your dream?"

His eyes glazed over for a second, as his mind recalled the events and he frowned.

"A silver feather on a river of blood I was standing in." he said, wondering what her reaction would be. Esther flinched and nodded, but then smiled reassuringly and hugged him.

"I don't know how you plan to interpret this dream, but… from where I'm standing, you can look at it in a good or a bad way."

Abel blinked, confused. "What good way?"

"Perhaps it is to say that you will kill him and all that will be left… is one of his feathers."

He gasped, wondering why he hadn't thought of something so simple. Then again, sometimes being positive eluded him. Abel smiled and quickly hugged her in return, jumping up from the chair and running to the door. "Thanks, Esther. I think I will have no problems sleeping now."

Michiyo Ichimaru


	16. Epilogue: Forever After

Kingdom Come

A Trinity Blood Fanfic

By Michiyo Ichimaru

**Disclaimer**: I don't own these characters, no matter how much I love them. This story is just for fun, so I hope you will enjoy it and comment at the end. Thanks.

**Author's Note**: This story is based on the manga, not the anime so much. It takes place before Esther finds out what Krusnik really is and before the adventure with Ion. Basically, it's before Chapter 13 if I remember correctly. I had the idea when reading the manga for the first time. I loved it so much that I had to write something. It is my first fic though, so don't hate me too much. Eventually my story will pick up with the original plot with a few twists and side-notes, hopefully. After reading chapter fifteen and sixteen, this chapter came out, knowing that I couldn't handle writing it the way that it was in the manga… those chapters made me cry…

Epilogue

Forever After

Some things aren't meant to ever end. There are choices we make and paths we take, but it's never-ending. Life doesn't stop, that's why it is called a great circle. A spiral isn't the correct term, because in the case of a spiral, it will eventually have to come to a close, where there is no more room for it to keep going in circles. Of one thing I am certain… even though we will all die someday, life will not stop turning.

Looking at the man curled up at my side, I knew that better than anything or anyone. From the moment I met Abel Nightroad, my life had been changed. My outlook suddenly brightened and I saw things I had never even hoped to see before. He taught me so much about my self by looking into my eyes and drawing me to him in that enigmatic way.

I was able to turn down being queen… for this man. Rather, I would much prefer traveling aimlessly with him, no matter the danger or the unpredictable nature of our adventures. Simply, I chose this because I loved him and I would not be able to go on living if he was not with me. It was one of the things I just needed with all my being. As long as he existed beside me, the world was fine where it was.

Naturally we continued our search for Cain. But it was just as never-ending. We refused to give up, mostly because without it, we didn't have much of a purpose or plan otherwise. It didn't stop us from being sidetracked. Actually, he knew how pointless it was too. He stopped fighting. One night he just told me without reservation.

He admitted that he was in love with me just as much as I was with him. The happiness that swelled inside of me at that exact moment was too great to be contained. Never before had I kissed or been kissed like I was that night. Ideally, it never would have ended. However, we didn't let our love stop us. Only pull us closer together, like some sort of gravitational pull.

Sitting on the bench outside some forgotten station, I gently fiddled with his long silver tresses. It wouldn't be long before Tres would call, irate that we purposefully ditched him to have some alone time before following Cain's trail again, into new, unknown vampire territory. Before, going into such places would have scared me stiff.

Yet, I knew that as long as he was beside me, I didn't have any right to be worried about anything. He always protected me in the end. His power was more than enough for anyone and he tore down anyone who tried to harm me. Overprotective? Maybe just a little. But I had to admit that I was kinda starting to like the attention more than I should. It made me feel as loved as I was.

Woken by my light touches, he looked up at me and smiled. "How long do we have yet?"

The phone in his back pocket started to ring furiously and he grimaced knowingly. Abel's frown quickly disintegrated and he smiled. "Not long now, huh? He's going to start actually getting mad if we keep doing this."

I shook my head and laughed.

"We have forever. There's no hurry to rush off into our impending doom."

Abel smirked. "That's good to hear."

A/N: Yeah that's the end. And I was quite happy with it, although I will be more than happy to hear what you have to say about it. I didn't know where to go with it after leaving it go for so long. So, please review with love. I hope you enjoyed it, even if you were sad or angry with me for ending it. Who knows… I might write another one later. Thanks! REVIEW!

Michiyo Ichimaru


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